Swan Creek Bridge.Photo byNRHP Nomination Form.

The Swan Creek Bridge was a historic Pratt truss bridge located north of Forsyth, Missouri (Taney County). This bridge was constructed in 1914 by the Canton Bridge Company and crossed over Swan Creek.

On September 8, 1983, this bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After it was destroyed in 1989, it was delisted in 1994.

As reported in October 1989 by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, residents were saddened by the collapse of the historic bridge. An end post of the bridge was struck by a truck. The driver who was 47 at the time indicated he was driving in the area and struck the bridge. He had to climb out of his truck window but survived.

The Swan Creek Bridge was important because it was an example of the most common type of truss bridge in the early 1900s. It was one of the last surviving landmarks linked to the old county seat of Forsyth.

The Swan Creek Bridge was built during the height of the establishment of small-town communities in the U.S. and was a dramatic structural remnant of the town's past.

Some backstory

Before the Civil War, trade from Springfield was led through Swan Creek Valley to Forsyth. It used to be an Indian trading route that was part of an even larger route during the 1820s. It linked White River country with St. Genevieve, St. Louis, and other eastern markets.

Travel would begin southwest of Springfield, then down James River and White River, and to the mouth of Swan Creek where there were established trading posts.

After Native American removal and the founding of Springfield in 1831, commerce continued toward the mouth of Swan Creek until a road was established for postal mail between Springfield and Forsyth in the 1840s.

During 1950 with the Bull Shoals dam construction, the old Forsyth was demolished and removed from the low land to higher ground on a bluff. Some of the buildings including the Masonic Hall were moved to the new Forsyth. Interestingly, when the water is low, a metal loop that was secured in limestone that was used as a tie-down for the steamboats is visible.

The Swan Creek bridge was at the ford on Casey Road. It's natural for the local citizens to be attached to surviving historic artifacts that are connected to the town their ancestors built.

The old truss-pin bridge was an artifact many thought might be worth preserving. There was some possibility for preservation once it became listed on the National Register. Residents and travelers celebrate historic preservation.

According to HistoricBridges.org, historic bridges in Missouri are rarely preserved.

Thanks for reading.